How to Raise Funds

Keeping Your Fundraising Events Safe   by Neill Wilkins

“Watch out or the health and safety police will get you!” …..How often have you heard that as you’ve been busy trying to plan your next fundraiser? Often accompanied by the questioner’s opinion on health and safety in general and an unfounded (but just try telling them that) tale of some charity organisers who were fined for not ensuring the kids wore safety goggles at a ferret racing championship or something similar.

The world of health and safety certainly seems to evoke strong emotions – generally of the “Its political correctness gone mad” kind. It really is curious that something so straightforward and generally quite simple has become such a talked about hot potato. In particular beloved by commentators of the “It was better in my day persuasion!” The doom and gloom merchants really can lay it on thick. A general moan about everything which appears to be wrong with society.

The thing is that most health and safety is common sense. I can remember as a child when 8 or 9 boys including 2 sharing the front passenger seat, would cram into my Dad’s (a schoolteacher) car as he drove us to cub scouts. Common sense tells me that I wouldn’t do that these days. I would however run conker competitions, splat the rat stalls and “wang” wellies for charity! You use your common sense and don’t rely on inaccurate advice from those who only relish giving out bad news.

The unfortunate thing about this for charity organisers and Fundraisers is that it makes it ever harder to find volunteers. Or the enthusiasm for great ideas gets sucked dry at a planning meeting by one of these prophets of doom! Alternatively people who want to do something get really defensive if anyone so much as mentions a risk assessment or go out of their way to avoid one.

Unfortunately lack of a proper process really can lead to potentially serious problems . I recently witnessed a charity head shave whilst the person was sitting in a bath of soup. If the mains powered electric clippers had been dropped in the bath the results could have been fatal. Political correctness gone mad?

The other thing about spending a little time thinking about health and safety is that often it will help you plan and run much more effective and enjoyable events. I used to organise large charity sales where concerns about safety in the car park led us to devise a totally new way of running the events which actually led to greater footfall and extra money being raised. Also, despite what people say, proper attention to health and safety, even something simple like getting stewards to wear high vis jackets, shows your volunteers and supporters that you are competent, capable and care about them.

So how do you ensure a safe event? The trick is to include it at the planning stage. Usually a sheet of A4 questions to ask yourself is all that you need for a risk assessment. Have 3 columns and spend a bit of time thinking of the things that both will happen and could happen

1. What is the risk?
2. Who is at risk?
3. What preventative action do you need to take?

You will probably end up with 6 to 10 things on your list. This really can cover anything from car parking to money handling.

Once you have a template you will find that you can use it for all sorts of fundraising events. It can become a sort of checklist quickly included in your preparations.

So please don’t listen to those that moan about health and safety. Keep it real. Do what you need to do and organise great events that are fun but always safe.
Neill Wilkins

About the Author

Neill Wilkins has been involved with charity fundraising for over 20 years. He now runs the popular Fundraising Website Better-Fundraising-Ideas

For more great ideas about fundraising events please visit
http://www.better-fundraising-ideas.com/fundraising-event-ideas.html